Checking a bag on standby
 

My wife recently tried to ride standby on JetBlue and needed to check her bag. The ticket counter agent informed her that if she didn't make the flight her bag would still go with the airplane. Based on myidtravel and a friend who worked at JB it looked like she would get on. She didn't and her bag went as well. She asked the gate agent (same person as ticket agent) again if she could get her bag once she was told she wasn't getting a seat to no avail. I bought her a ticket on a different airline for the next day but she was without many overnight items in her bag. Is this policy followed by many other airlines? I work for Spirit and we put standby tags on and will pull it if the standby doesn't get on.

Would they let her gate check it?

It was a full size, 40lb duffel. Can you ask them to gate check it at the ticket counter? Thats not something I'm familiar with if thats the case. It wasn't going to get by TSA.

That's a head scratcher. You would think for security purposes and airline wouldn't load a bag that was checked by a passenger who subsequently didn't get on the airplane.

Like Spirit, most of the airlines I've travelled standby on keep the standby bags on the ramp until the boarding agents radio down that the passenger has a seat and it kosher to load the bags. In fact, in my experience, if for any reason a boarded passenger decides/has to deplane, their bag is removed also. While that may entail a delay it seems the prudent policy to follow.

This is how Delta works as well domestically. It's kind of a bummer especially for those of us that commute. You are flying standby so you are almost always last to board which means there is no room for your bag. You are forced to check it to your destination, but then there's always the chance you'll miss your next flight and get stuck at the hub with no stuff. Worse case scenario you never get to your destination. Non-revving is extremely difficult these days if not impossible with a family.

If the PASSENGER no shows or gets off the flight, the bag has to come off. If the AIRLINE bumps the pax, then the bag can go. Theory being it was not the pax's intention to stay behind. Airlines can of course make the effort to keep standbys and checked baggage together but it's not a requirement.

I've learned to live out of carry-on sized bags. They might gate-check the rollaboard, but not before I board. If I'm going somewhere for weeks on end I'll check one but the important stuff is in my carry-on.

I've pretty much given up non-reving my family members, but I tell them to take their toiletries in their purse/laptop bag.

I would treat each leg separately, sure it's a pain to go to baggage claim and then back through KCM but at least you won't get stuck at a HUB with no luggage if you're commuting.

Always always bring a carry on only even if you intend on gate checking it. Checking bags on a non rev is risky. Unless you don't mind being separated from that bag for a few days, just go the carry on route.
My wife is a pro at non revving, and here is why:
She has no strict timeline.
She doesn't care if she gets to her destination via 4 legs.
She doesn't care if she ends up in Tampa vs. Orlando.
She only packs carry on.
If she has to turn around at the airport and come back the next day, then it isn't a deal breaker.
If she doesn't sit near the kids (mine are 7 and up) it also isn't a big deal. They all know the plan.

If you NEED to get somewhere on time, buy a ticket. This is why in a few cases, we have bought a revenue ticket to and then nonrevved back. These days, with loads hovering around 90 percent, playing the nonrev game is not easy.

I just nonrevved my family from a nonhub city to another nonhub city, including legs on RJs where they had no priority. Ended up not making one flight but the extra night in the hotel was worth the savings in airfare.

I agree, if at all possible try to keep it to carry-ons. Checking bags on STBY on DAL is a very risky proposition if you actually need anything in that checked bag. HKs seem to have a 6th sense when you REALLY need to get somewhere and turn empty flights into oversold flights at a rate proportional to how important it is for you to make your commute.

I have non-revved on United and US Airways, and this is the way it generally works. Bag goes even if passenger doesn't get a seat.